North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>]

My potted lemon has finished ripening its first crop.  I realize how few
lemons we use!  It had five or six mature fruits.  We picked the first
one around Thanksgiving, slightly under ripe.  There are still 2 left. 
They've gotten quite loose in their skins, and smell lovely.  It has
started its next growth cycle, with lots of emerging new vegetation and
a small crop of buds.  Nothing smells nicer that a blooming lemon tree!

I am thinking of moving it outdoors this summer, as it pretty much goes
dormant inside once the oaks leaf out (and block its light.)  The two
problems I've had with that in the past are squirrels "harvesting" all
the immature fruits (they bury them) and the plant drying up and losing
all its leaves.  I think I can thwart the squirrels with bird netting. 
I'm sure I can't remember to water it as often as it needs in full sun.
Someone said that losing all its leaves was a normal response to the
change in humidity, but I think it must be more than that, as last time
it happened the tree was set back by months.  (We nearly threw it out,
thinking it was dead.)

Has anyone tried potting these in those "self watering" pots that are
sold for tomatoes and flowers?  Did it work?  Also, it is currently
staked.  I plan to repot it this spring, and wonder if I ought to
restake it or just leave it alone.

Thanks,
Ginda Fisher
eastern Massachusetts, zone 6

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